JPH03161763A - Remote administration device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To allow the history of abnormal information to be known in the event of generation of abnormality and to allow the analysis of the contents of the trouble as well as to obtain the maintenance information as to whether exchange parts and replacement parts are needed or not by storing the history of the abnormal information when the abnormal information is transmitted from a terminal device and displaying the history at need. CONSTITUTION:This device has a memory means 24 which stores the history of the abnormal information for each of the terminal devices and a display control means which displays the stored history of the abnormal information on a display screen 25. The abnormal information on paper jam, expose abnormality, etc., is stored together with the data for each of the respective terminal devices and the history of the abnormal information is formed when this abnormal information is inputted from the terminal device. This history is displayed at necessary timing on the display screen 25. Thus, the past history of the abnormality is elucidated on the spot when the abnormality arises. The sufficient maintenance information is thus obtd. and the necessary exchange parts are immediately discriminated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a remote management device that manages terminal devices such as copying machines and vending machines that require field service at a remote location using communication lines.

[Conventional technology]

Image forming apparatuses such as copying machines require periodic maintenance due to factors such as deterioration of photoreceptors and internal contamination due to toner scattering and adhesion, and so-called field service is required. In addition to regular maintenance, when a copying machine malfunctions or abnormalities occur, such as poor images due to noise such as clogging, background rash, or deterioration of the photoconductor, the user calls the service company and the service company sends a service representative. They sent a team to perform maintenance. Normally, maintenance of copying machines is carried out by a specialized service company, and the service company not only performs maintenance but also manages copying fees.

In addition, equipment such as vending machines that sell products such as drinks and cigarettes, air conditioning equipment, and refrigerated showcases also require field service just like copying machines, and similarly, manufacturers or service companies are responsible for managing these equipment. Is going. Particularly in the case of vending machines, some specialized vendor companies manage the products and equipment, and in such cases, service personnel patrol the equipment on a daily basis and carry out management duties such as checking for out-of-stock products and consumables and collecting payments. It is carried out. For equipment that requires such field service, a service company is required to centrally manage the equipment as a terminal device and quickly respond to any abnormalities.

A conventional technique for centrally managing terminal devices at a center device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 12652/1983. This allows multiple copying machines to store usage price information and maintenance information and communicate with the management device at any time, allowing the maintenance information of each copying machine to be sent to the management device at preset times. It is designed to display received messages. In addition, the display regarding abnormalities such as failures is made by displaying the number of failures.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, when an abnormality such as a failure occurs in the terminal device, conventional management devices only display the number of failures.
It is not possible to recognize the faulty part or its condition, and the service personnel are unable to analyze the details of the fault when dealing with an abnormality.
Sufficient maintenance information could not be obtained to determine whether or not parts should be replaced due to failure.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and when abnormal information is transmitted from a terminal device, the history of the abnormal information is stored and displayed as necessary, so that the history of the abnormal information can be updated when an abnormality occurs. information, and can analyze the details of the failure.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a remote management device that can obtain maintenance information such as the necessity of replacement parts and supply parts.

[Means to solve the problem]

A remote management device according to the present invention is connected to a plurality of terminal devices via a communication line, receives a plurality of pieces of information including abnormality information indicating an abnormality from each terminal device, and selectively displays the received information on a display screen. In a remote management device that performs a plurality of management processes for each terminal device by displaying the information, a storage means for storing a history of abnormality information for each terminal device, and a display for displaying the history of the stored abnormality information on the display screen. It is characterized by comprising a control means.

[Effect]

In the present invention, when abnormality information such as a paper jam or an exposure abnormality is input from a terminal device, it is stored together with the date and time for each terminal device to create a history of abnormality information. displayed on the display screen when As a result, when an abnormality occurs, the past history of the abnormality can be immediately determined, sufficient maintenance information can be obtained, and necessary replacement parts can be immediately determined.

(The following is a blank space) [Examples] The present invention will be described in detail below based on drawings showing examples thereof.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the structure of a centralized management system using a remote management device according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a copying machine as a terminal device, and in addition to the copying machine, the terminal devices include an image forming device such as a laser printer,
All equipment that requires field service can be considered, such as vending machines, air conditioning equipment, and refrigeration showcases. Copy machine 1
An interface (hereinafter referred to as 1/F) circuit 2 is provided inside.

The 1/F circuit 2 controls the interface between the copying machine 1 and the communication unit 3, and is connected to the communication unit 3 via a transmission line 5. Here, the format and control method of data flowing through the transmission line 5 is a serial method, a parallel method,
Various schemes can be used, such as contention control schemes. The communication unit 3 identifies and controls the copying machine 1, sends and receives data to and from the copying machine 1, temporarily stores data from the copying machine 1, manages the status of the copying machine 1, and creates data to be transmitted to the center device 4, which will be described later. Alternatively, it performs processes such as exchanging data with the center device 4 and managing call timing of the center device 4.

The center device 4 connects the communication unit 3 with a public telephone line, private line, or LAN (Local Area Network).
) is connected via a communication line 6 such as an in-house line including Exchange data with.

In this embodiment, the communication unit 3 is separately placed outside the copying machine 1, but it may be provided inside the copying machine 1. In addition, the communication unit 3 is designed to reduce the cost.
Although only calls can be made from the center device 4, a configuration may also be adopted in which calls can be received from the center device 4.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the structure of the I/F circuit, and in the figure, 7, 7, etc. are sensors that obtain data such as necessary voltage, current, temperature, status, and number of copies in the copying machine 1. If the data obtained from the sensors 7, 7... is an analog value, it is given to the A/D converters 8, 8... and converted into a digital value. In addition, if the copying machine 1 itself holds data such as the number of copies, the A/D converter 8.8.
The data indicating the number of copies instead of ... is sent to the data receiving section 9.
given to. Note that a level converter that converts the level of data may be used instead of the A/D converters 8, 8, . . . . The data obtained by the A/D converters 8, 8... or the data receiving section 9 is temporarily stored in the buffer section 10,
The data is transmitted to the communication unit 3 via the data exchange section 11 in response to a transmission request from the copying machine 1 or a request from the communication unit 3. Also, sensors 7, 7..., A/D i? Ah
8, 8, . . . , the data receiving section 9, the buffer section 1o, and the data transfer section 11 are controlled by the control section 12, and the timing of each data is controlled. Further, the I/F circuit 2 is supplied with necessary power from a power supply section 13. Note that the power supply section l3 may be shared with the power supply inside the copying machine 1.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the structure of the communication unit,
Data transmitted to the communication unit 3 via the transmission line 5 is temporarily stored in the buffer section 15 via the data exchange section 14. The data stored in the bath sofa section 15 is given to a central control section 16 using, for example, a microprocessor sensor, where it is subjected to primary processing, which will be described later.

In addition, the central control unit 16 transmits the line number of the preset data transmission destination (for example, the center device 4) to the NCU (Network Unit 4).
ork Control Unit network control device) 2
0 and connects the communication line 6 of that line number,
Data is exchanged via the modem 19 and communication line 6.

The central control unit 16 includes a memory unit 17 that stores programs for controlling the communication unit 3, time data for regular reporting, and data such as line numbers to be sent to the NCU 20, and a central control unit that stores programs to control the communication unit 3, time data for regular reports, and data such as line numbers to be sent to the NCU 20. A human power section 30 and a timekeeping device 18 are connected to the timer 16. Further, a power supply section 21 that supplies power to the communication unit 3 is provided.

The central control section 16 operates based on a program given in advance and instructions from the center device 4, and normally sends and receives data to and from the copying machine 1 via the data transfer section 14 and the buffer section 15, and processes the data. It performs analysis processing and monitors the copying machine 1. In addition, when abnormal data is transmitted from the copying machine 1 or when the time stored in the memory section 17 and the time of the clock device 18 fail, the central control unit l6
sends the set data destination number to the NCU 20, connects the communication line 6, and connects the modem 19 and communication line 6.
Data is exchanged with the center device 4 via.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a center device that is a remote management device of the present invention. Modem 22 for sending and receiving, ROM for storing data and programs
．． A storage unit 24 including RAM and auxiliary storage, a monitor 25 for displaying images and data, a printer 26 for printing necessary information, a keyboard 27 for inputting data, and a mouse 28 for specifying a position on the monitor 25 are connected. configured. The data given to the central processing section 23 is sent to and processed in the order of the transmission/reception processing section 231, the text buffer section 232, the received text processing section 233, and the file storage section 234, as will be described later (see FIG. 8). Further, data in the file storage section 234 is sent to the data display section 236 in response to a data registration and display request command from the input processing section 235, and processed so that it can be displayed on the monitor 25.

Next, the functions of the I/F circuit 2, communication unit 3, and center device 4 will be described in detail.

The 1/F rgJ path 2 has the function of providing data necessary for managing the copying machine 1 to the center device 4 via the communication unit 3, and the data collected by the I/F circuit 2 is for example 1, the number of copies by size, exposure voltage,
Voltage of main parts such as developing bias voltage, temperature of main parts such as heat roller temperature, failure information such as paper jam by position, toner (developer) out, paper out and voltage abnormality, power on/off, copying machine during copying There is information such as information. Of these data, the number of copies by size and the voltage and temperature of the main parts are measured every time the copying machine 1 operates, are temporarily stored in the bath sofa section 10, and are transmitted to the data exchange section 11 in response to a request from the communication unit 3. The failure information and copying machine information can be constantly monitored by the communication unit 3. Note that when the amount of data to be transmitted from the transmission line 5 is large, the data may be transmitted by time division in order to reduce the number of lines on the transmission line 5.

Table 1 shows the transmission path 5 between the I/F circuit 2 and the communication unit 3.
This shows an example of the signal structure in the 1/F circuit 2.
and the communication unit 3 are connected by an 8-bit data signal, a 4-bit select signal, and a 4-bit status signal.

(Leaving space below) Table 1 Table 2 shows an example of the relationship between the state of the select signal and the data. Data such as the number of copies by size, exposure voltage, developing bias voltage, heat roller temperature, failure mode, etc. is an 8-bit data signal D.
a taO～Data? is output.

Table 2 FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the state of the select signal and the output tie of data. The state of the select signals SO-S3 from the select signals SO-S3 is monitored, and data corresponding to the state of the select signals SO-SA is always outputted as data signals DataO-7. When a failure occurs in the copying machine 1, the Trouble signal is immediately turned on, a failure mode number (trouble code) indicating the nature of the failure is set in a failure register (not shown) of the buffer section 10, and the failure mode number is sent from the communication unit 3. request (select signal S3, S2, Sl, SO=111
Prepare for 0). Also, during the copy operation, the CopyRDY signal is turned off, and the communication unit 3 is notified that the measurement data detected by the sensors 7, 7, . . . during this period is not guaranteed.

The communication unit 3 constantly monitors the copying machine 1 and communicates with the copying machine 1.
Performs primary processing of data sent from.

The primary processing includes, for example, management of the number of copies by size, management of maximum/minimum values of voltage and temperature of main parts, and calculation of average values. Further, constant monitoring items include items such as power on/off, monitoring during copying, and monitoring of failure status.

Normally, the communication unit 3 switches the select signal at the time when the copying machine 1 becomes ready (CopyRDY signal on) with the power on, and transmits measured data such as the number of copies by size and the voltage and temperature of the main parts. reading.

When the Trouble signal is set, the select signal is switched, the failure mode number (trouble code) is read, and the details of the failure are determined. For example, failure details are classified into predetermined levels (major failure, medium failure, small failure, etc.), and in the case of a major failure, a call is immediately made to the center device 4 to notify that a serious failure has occurred in the copying machine 1. Let me know. Further, in the case of a medium failure, the center device 4 is notified when the failure reaches a predetermined number of times, and in the case of a minor failure, it is transmitted as data during regular communication.

When the power signal is turned off, the number of copies of each size that has been read up to that point is temporarily stored in the memory unit 17, and if the copying machine does not have a memory bank amplifier function, the subsequent data and the saved data are added together to create new read data. shall be.

The communication unit 3 has a function of transmitting the number of copies by size and measurement data of the copying machine 1 to the center device 4, and the following five types of call timings to the center device 4 are set.

(1) Power ON call 2 communication unit 3 to P
When the power is turned on (2) Fixed special call: At a set time (usually once/day) (3) Failure call: When a failure that requires notification occurs and when it is recovered (4) Parts replacement Call origination: When the service person replaces a part and instructs to make a call (5) Communication test call origination: When the communication test switch is pressed The call destination is normally only the predetermined center device 4, but In this embodiment, a total of three call destinations can be set in consideration of holidays, late night, and other closed times. It is also possible to change the calling destination and the time of scheduled calling based on instructions from the center device 4.

In consideration of the case where a failure occurs during data transmission to the center device 4, priority is given to the calling destinations, and the communication unit 3 transmits data in order of priority. Next, each call origination timing will be explained in detail.

PoIset ON To make a call, turn on the power of communication unit 3.
This call is made to match the sequence with the center device 4 when the call is made. After transmitting the current status of the copying machine 1, the communication unit 3 receives the center device number, specific call time, and current time from the center device 4, and writes them into its own memory section 17.

The scheduled call is a call for transmitting the copy AT data collected by the communication unit 3 at a predetermined time or at a time specified by communication from the center equipment W4.

After completing the fixed call, the communication unit 3 clears its own number of copies by size and measurement data, and if there is return data, stores the contents in the memory section 17.

A malfunction call is a call made when the copier 1 immediately reports to the center device 4 when a major malfunction or a medium malfunction occurs the number of times that a report is required, and a call is made when the trouble has been resolved. be. In this case, a trouble code indicating the details of the failure will be sent. Furthermore, even when the failure is recovered, the failure recovery message is sent along with the trouble code.

The parts replacement call is a call made when a serviceman notifies the center device 4 of replacing a part of the copier AT that requires recording (for example, a photosensitive drum, a developer, a waste toner bottle, etc.).

A communication test call is a call made during a test required during system maintenance or inspection.

Parts replacement calls and communication test calls are made using the input unit 3 provided in the communication unit 3, regardless of communication with the I/P circuit 2.
0 is operated by a service person or operator to initiate a call.

When the calling conditions are met, the communication unit 3 transfers the number of the called party with the highest priority to the NCU 20 and requests a line connection. When the line is connected, data is transmitted to the center device 4 via the modem 19. When this is completed, data is transmitted in the same manner to each call destination in order of priority.

There are many methods for the communication procedure between the communication unit 3 and the center device 4, but here, a contention method and no procedure based on JIS C6326 is adopted. Note that if the communication line is busy, or if there is an error or line disconnection during communication, the message will be retransmitted up to three times.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a message of data sent from the communication unit 3 to the center device 4. Messages are sent in bytes, and the numbers in the diagram indicate byte numbers. The first byte STX indicates the beginning of the data. The communication mode of the second byte indicates the content of the call,
Numbers 1 to 5 are assigned from Power ON call to communication test call. 7th-8th, 25th-26th. 6
riilA-aDJ of bytes 3 to 64, TO to 71 indicates the meaning of the data in each block, iA is the number of copies, aB is measurement data, aC is trouble information, i
ilD indicates parts replacement information. Each 4-byte data following aA and aB is the number of copies by size and the maximum value, minimum value, and average value of each measurement data that have been totaled up to that point. The l-byte number following aC indicates the occurrence/recovery of a trouble, and is 11 in the case of trouble occurrence and O in the case of recovery. The following 4 bytes are the trouble code of the trouble that has occurred/recovered. Here, the failures include exposure voltage abnormality, developing bias voltage abnormality, heat roller temperature abnormality, jamming abnormality, and scanning device abnormality. The 4 bytes following aD are a 4-digit number representing the part code when replacing the part.

The 2ilC, trouble code, and iiID and parts code are transmitted when the communication mode is failure occurrence call or parts replacement call, respectively, and are not transmitted in other communication modes. ETX indicates the end of data.

If there is an instruction from the center device 4, the instruction data is transmitted from the center device 4 after detecting ETX from the communication unit 3. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a message of instruction data sent from the center device to the communication unit. Here, in the communication mode of the second byte, the code transmitted by the communication unit 3 is retransmitted as is. The <15-digit number following aR indicates the number of the center device 4, and is transmitted even if there is no change. The data following aS is the data that specifies the fixed special calling time of the communication unit 3 during communication, and the day of the week code is O if it is the same as the previous specification, 8 if it is every day, and 9 if scheduled transmission is not required.
Specify. If you wish to request scheduled transmission once a week, please select 1.
Specify the day of the week with a number from ~7.

Hours and minutes are specified using two digits each in 24-hour notation. The data following the symbol indicates the current time. The current time may differ between the communication unit 3 and the center device 4, so
The center device 4 always returns these data for time adjustment when the communication mode is Power ON calling.

It is also possible to add au, av, etc. as the returned data and transmit a terminal control code to perform remote maintenance of the copying machine 1 and to transmit failure diagnosis information to a service person.

Next, the center unit W4 will be explained in detail.

The center device 4 is installed at a field service company,
Line control, transmission control, storage and update processing of data sent via the i-communication line 6 by calls from each communication unit 3, storage and update processing in memory, and various display processing and display based on stored data. , has functions such as information registration of users who have installed the communication unit 3 and the copying machine 1, registration processing of data on the model used and parts used, and input/output control. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the structure of a processing section. The transmission/reception processing unit 231
The communication unit 2 senses communication from the communication unit 3 by an interrupt from the modem 22, performs line control and transmission control, and stores received text such as measurement data from the modem 22 in the received text buffer section 232. The received text processing section 233 checks the contents of the received text buffer section 232 in the main processing, and if there is received text, analyzes the contents and stores the data in the file storage section 234. The data display section 236, which is a display control means, reads the contents of the received text stored in the file storage section 234 in response to data registration and display requests, processes it according to the purpose, and displays the data on the monitor 25. .

The transmission/reception processing unit 231 monitors the status of the modem 22, checks the received data for errors, and processes A(J,N) accordingly.
It performs AK transmission, sequence control, download data transmission, etc., and sets the received text in the received text backup section 232.

The received text processing unit 233 is divided into received data preprocessing and received data update processing. In the received data preprocessing, after confirming the occurrence of received text, a form check is performed on this text, and if there is no error, the data is passed to the next stage. The received data update process extracts the data necessary for the update from the data from the previous stage, converts the update date data, copy number data, trouble data, measurement data, and parts replacement data into a type that corresponds to the file record, and then saves it to the file. Write.

The received text processing unit 233 also has a bath that stores four lists: a replacement list, a failure list, a usage rate list, and a prediction list. ), but each terminal code (number) that is currently out of order is stored in the fault list. Further, the usage rate list and the prediction list are obtained by calculating usage rates based on the received data, and are sorted and stored in descending order of usage rate.

The data display unit 236 processes the data so that the following 12 types of display screens are displayed on the monitor 25 according to data display instructions input by the operator using the keyboard 27 and operating the mouse 28. do. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the view structure of the display contents of the data display section.

Note that if a trouble occurrence is received no matter which screen is displayed, the trouble occurrence is immediately displayed on the screen. Additionally, if the menu screen is displayed, parts replacement announcements are also made.

a. Menu display: Select processing content b, pp
C. Selection: Select the terminal to display the ppc status C. Announcement of replacement time 2 Display of usage rate of parts d. Copy charge display: Calculate and display the copy charge e. PPC status display: Display the latest rpc status f. PPC performance history display: Displays the history of measurement data g. RPC failure history display: Display trouble history h. RPC exchange history display:
Display parts replacement history t. rpc Copy number display Display the number of copies by size every two days j. User registration: registration/change/deletion of user informationk.
Model registration: Register/change/delete model information l. Device registration:
Registering, changing, and deleting device information Among these display screens,
On the display screen b-%-i indicated by a double frame, user information, model information, and terminal information can be displayed.

In addition, the mouse 28 can be used to instruct data display for a''-i for the convenience of the operator.That is, by moving the cursor with the mouse 28 to the area where each piece of information is displayed and clicking, Display instructions can be given. Instructions can also be canceled using the mouse 28. However, data entry for 3-k must be done carefully, and the keyboard 27 is used.

Next, detailed processing of each display content will be explained.

15 to 38 are diagrams showing the screen structure of the monitor processed by the data display section.

The menu display is finally displayed as shown in FIG. 15 when the center device 4 is activated by turning on the power and when the user continues exiting each display screen by returning. Here, "failure search"
, r ppc selection", "Replacement timing announcement", "Copy charge management", "User registration", "Model registration", and "Terminal registration" are displayed, and the mouse 28
Select the icon and select the process. In addition, if there is a terminal that is currently out of order, please click "Failure Search" as shown in Figure 16.
The icon will flash to notify you of this. Additionally, if there is a terminal that requires a part replacement, a "replacement time announcement" icon will flash to notify you of this.

The PPC selection menu is r ppc in the menu display.
rp from the rpc selection menu.
Displayed when returning after calling PC status display j. Here, the terminal number, user name, and model name of the copying machine 1 are displayed (FIG. 17), and the copying machine to be processed is selected on the PPC status display.

This is also displayed for copying machines that are out of order and for which parts replacement requests are being made (Figures 18 and 19). In particular, if a failure occurs, this information will also be displayed at the bottom right of the screen. Also, as mentioned above, by moving the cursor indicated by a white arrow with the mouse 28 to the terminal, user, or model in the upper column and clicking, terminal information, user information, or model information can be displayed in a window ( Figure 20)
.

The replacement time announcement is displayed when "replacement time announcement j is selected and when the rppc status display" is called from the replacement time announcement and then returned. Here, the photosensitive drum, which is a replacement part,
The developer displays the usage rate of waste toner bottles in the order of copier machines with the highest usage rate (Figure 30). If you select prediction here, you can display a diagram (Figures 31 and 32) that predicts the next replacement date based on the usage rate up to now and the number of copies.

The copy fee display is displayed when "Copy fee management" is selected in the menu display, and the copy fee for the past year is calculated for each month and displayed for each copying machine (Figure 34).
. An invoice is then issued based on the displayed information. Here, the settlement of accounts sets the calculation date range for each month's copying charges, calculates the copying charges (Figure 35), and prints out the invoice for the copying charges.

The RPC status display is displayed when "Status Monitor" is selected in the RPC selection menu display or replacement time announcement display, when "Failure Search" is selected during a failure in the menu display, and the PPC performance history display and RPC replacement history display described later. , is displayed when "Return" is selected in the PPC number display (Figure 21). Here, the maximum, minimum, and average values based on measurement data such as the number of copies, failure status, exposure voltage, developing bias voltage, and heat roller temperature, as well as the usage rate of replacement parts such as the photosensitive drum, developer, and waste toner bottle are displayed.

Also, if the maximum value or minimum value of the measured data exceeds the appropriate range, the measured data is displayed in red. Furthermore, when the replacement part usage rate exceeds 100%, the replacement part is displayed in red. Note that the display order of the copying machines here is such that when called from "Failure Search", the malfunctioning copying machines are sorted and displayed in the order of the terminal number in the failure list. This allows quick failure search.

Also, when called from "Replacement Announcement", all copiers are displayed in descending order of usage rate.

Furthermore, when called from "rppc selection", terminal numbers are displayed in ascending order. On the other hand, if an abnormality occurs in the copying machine during the r ppc status monitor, the location of the occurrence will be displayed in the failure status and information indicating the occurrence of the failure will be displayed in the lower right corner of the screen (No. 33).
figure). Here, a case is shown in which an abnormality occurs in the heat roller temperature and a fixing abnormality occurs, but this is also displayed in the same way in the case of other failures such as a scanner abnormality.

rpc status history display is rMEN in PPC status display
Select UJ to display the submenu (Figure 22),
It is displayed by selecting ``ppc performance history''. Here, changes in the average values of the exposure voltage, the developing bias voltage, and the heat roller temperature are displayed using weekly, monthly, and yearly time axes (FIG. 23). Also, changes in the maximum and minimum values of the measured data showing each of these performances are displayed on a weekly, monthly, and yearly time axis (FIG. 24).

rpc failure history display is rpc status selection
This is displayed by selecting NUJ, displaying the submenu (Fig. 22), and selecting "rppc failure history". Here, the month in which the failure occurred, details of the abnormality, exposure voltage, developing bias voltage, heat roller temperature, and reception time are displayed (FIG. 25). Also, any of these measurement data that exceeds the appropriate range is displayed in red.

PPC exchange history display also displays a submenu,
It is displayed by selecting ``ppc exchange history''. Here, the date on which replacement parts such as the photosensitive drum, developer pad, and waste toner bottle were replaced and the parts usage rate at that time are displayed (Figure 26).

The number of RPC copies can be displayed by similarly displaying the submenu and selecting "Number of RPC copies". Here, we show the changes in the number of copies per day and size per week.
The month and year are displayed as a time axis (Figures 27 to 29).

User registration is displayed when "User registration" is selected in the menu display, and here the user name, phone number,
Registration of user information such as postal code and address. Make changes and deletions (Figure 36).

Model registration is displayed when "Model registration" is selected on the menu display, and the model name, exposure voltage, appropriate range of developing bias voltage and heat roller temperature, photosensitive drum, developer, replacement of waste toner bottle, number of copies, etc. Register, change, and delete information (Figure 37).

Terminal registration is displayed when "Terminal registration" is selected on the menu display, and allows you to register, change, and delete terminal information such as terminal number, model name, serial number, and user name.
figure).

On the other hand, the numerical value displayed on the data display section 236 is calculated by the following calculation.

Drum usage rate = {(total number of copies) - (total number of copies when replacing drum)} / (number of copies when replacing drum) Calculated. Further, the copying fee is calculated based on, for example, a basic fee and a number-of-sheets fee for each number of sheets.

Further, the file storage unit 234 stores the following seven data files. Data files can be roughly divided into terminal common information and terminal individual information, and the terminal common information includes the following four files.

(11 PPC terminal information file (21 PPC user information file (3) PPC charge data file (4) PPC model information file Additionally, the terminal individual information includes the following three files.

(11 PPC data file (21 PPC parts replacement history file (3) PP
C failure history file PPC terminal information file can be registered, changed, and changed by terminal registration.
This is a file that stores deleted data, and manages the correspondence between terminal numbers, model names, serial numbers, and user names.

Records in this file are sorted by terminal number. Sorting is done at registration time and the file is updated.

The PPC user information file is a file that stores data registered, changed, and deleted through user registration, and manages user names, postal codes, addresses, and telephone numbers. Records in this file are sorted by username.

Sorting is done at registration time and the file is updated.

The PPC charge data file manages the number of copies by size and the copy charge for each month for each copying machine.

The rpc model information file can be registered, updated, and
This file stores deleted data, and manages the appropriate range of exposure voltage, developing bias voltage, and heat roller temperature for each model, as well as the number of replacement copies for photosensitive drums, developers, and waste toner bottles. The PPC data file manages various data sent from the communication unit 3, such as the number of copies, exposure voltage, developing bias voltage, heat roller temperature, and trouble status. Here, 365 (366) days of fixed call data from January 1st to December 31st is managed, and the most recently transmitted data is recorded. Further, the final number of copies, the total number of copies, the total number of copies when the photosensitive drum is replaced, the total number of copies when the developer is replaced, and the total number of copies when the waste toner bottle is replaced are recorded.

The rpc parts replacement history file manages the date and time when parts were replaced and the number of copies at the time of replacement.

The PPC failure history file manages the date and time when the failure occurred, exposure voltage, developing bias voltage, and heat roller temperature. This file is added each time an error occurs.

Next, the processing contents of the center device 4 will be explained.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of the transmission/reception processing section of the central processing section. First, the state of the modem 22 is monitored to check whether there is an incoming call from the communication unit 3 (step 11101), and if there is no incoming call, the process is terminated, and if there is an incoming call, the received data is received by the text buffer section 2.
32 (step +1103). Next, it is determined whether there is a reception error (step #104). Here, the reception error is a parity check, A and B next to @ indicating the data interval of the message shown in Figure 6.
．． C. The determination is made based on whether or not D was received normally in that order. If there is a reception error, the communication unit 3 sends the data again. NAK signal is sent to the communication unit 3.
Performs NAK transmission processing to be sent to (Step ”$110
6) If there is no reception error, an ACK transmission process is performed to transmit an ACK signal indicating normal reception to the communication unit 3 (step 11105).

Next, it is determined whether or not the instruction data shown in FIG. 7 is to be transmitted when setting the time, that is, the presence or absence of transmission data from the center device 4 to the communication unit 3, and if there is transmission data, the data transmission process is performed. If there is no data to be transmitted, skip step #107 and determine whether the process has ended normally (step 108). Here, it is determined whether or not the communication has ended normally based on whether or not the line was disconnected during the communication. If the process ends normally, a normal line disconnection operation is performed that resets the abnormal disconnection flag (not shown) (step +1109), and if it does not end normally, an abnormal line disconnection process is performed (step '111).
10).

Next, it is confirmed by a predetermined flag that the line has actually been disconnected (step +1111), and whether or not there is space in the received text buffer section 232 is checked (step ?112).
. When the reception text buffer unit 232 is full, a reception buffer standby process is performed to prohibit automatic call response (step +1113), and the process ends.

Next, the processing contents of the received text processing section 233 are shown in FIG.
a), (This will be explained based on the flowchart shown in bl.

First, it is determined whether the received text is stored in the received text bath section 232 (step #201), and if it is stored, a received data retrieval process is performed to read it (step #202), and the received text is received. The format of the text is checked and the presence or absence of an error is determined (step #203). If there is no error in the received text, the communication mode, communication unit code, and date are entered (step #204), and the type of call is determined in steps #205 to #209.

In the case of a PoI1er ON call, initial processing is performed to clear the files for the current day (step +1210).
,finish. In addition, in the case of a test call, test file reception data (not shown) is stored (step 11211),
finish.

In the case of a specific call or a parts replacement call, step I220
The copy number memory for each terminal and size is updated, and the cumulative number of copies is calculated (step 11221), and the usage rate of each of the above-mentioned parts is calculated (step #222).
), it is determined whether the usage rate has become 100% or more (step #223). When the usage rate reaches 100% or more, the part is registered in the list of parts requiring replacement for each terminal (step I$224).

Next, create a usage list for each part (step 1122).
5) Create a prediction list based on the prediction list (step 1226). The predicted list will be updated one week after each replacement part or one
It is created by predicting the expected usage status after several months from actual data. Next, the measurement data memory is updated based on the received data (step 'jl227), and it is determined whether the called mode is part replacement (step 11228).

When in the parts replacement mode, the parts usage rate is calculated (Step #229), and it is determined whether the usage rate is less than 100% (Step #230). If it is less than 100%, the part is replaced. It is deleted from the replacement list (step 31231). Then, the current cumulative number of copies is set (Step #232), and the total number of copies during the part usage period is registered based on the cumulative number of copies entered in the PPC replacement history file for each part (Step #233).
finish.

Furthermore, if the mode is not for parts replacement in step #228, it is then determined whether the mode is for failure calling (step +
1234), if there is a failure call, the process ends, otherwise the number of copies by size and the measured data memory are written to the PPc data file of the day (step #235), and the process ends.

On the other hand, if a fault call is made in step #207, a fault has occurred/
It is determined whether it is a recovery (step #240), and if it is a failure recovery, the failure situation is deleted from the failure list (step +1241), and the process proceeds to step #220. When a failure occurs, the terminal number and terminal code are registered in the failure list (step #242), and the terminal code and date and time are registered in the failure history file for each terminal (step +1243).
, proceed to step #220.

Next, the processing contents of the data display section 236 are shown in FIG. 14(a).
This will be explained based on the flowcharts shown in ~(h). First, initial processing is performed to clear all internal memories such as video RAM (not shown) (step #300).
Display the menu screen shown in Figure 5 (Step #301
). Next, it is determined whether there is a failure list, that is, whether there is a copying machine that is currently out of order (step #302), and if there is a failure list, a failure blinking process is performed to blink the failure search icon on the menu screen as shown in FIG. Execute (stenf'tl303). Next, check whether there is a list that requires replacement.
That is, it is determined whether or not there is a part whose current usage rate exceeds 100% (step 11304), and if there is, a replacement-required blinking process is executed to blink the replacement time announcement icon on the menu screen (step 1305).

The presence or absence of manual effort by clicking the mouse 28 is then determined in Step #306, and in the next steps #307 to Step #1313 it is determined which menu has been selected.

If it is determined in step 11307 that failure search has been selected, the process advances to step #450 shown in FIG. 14 (18).
The terminal numbers are arranged in the order of the failure list as shown in FIG. 33, and the process proceeds to step #334, which will be described later.

When the PPC selection is selected in step #308, a list of terminals as shown in FIG.
6) If there is no failure list, the presence or absence of a failure list is determined in step #317, and if there is a failure list, a blinking display indicating a failure is performed as shown in Fig. 19 (step #318).
), return to step #316. If there is no failure list, the process similarly returns to step #316. Note that the human power and failure list detection processing in steps #316 to #318 described above will be referred to as A processing hereinafter.

If there is an input in step #316, then it is determined whether or not it is a return, and if it is a return, step #301
If it is not return, it is determined whether or not to scroll up/down (step #320), and if scroll up/down is selected, up/down scroll processing is performed in step #314, and step 16 is executed. Next, in step #321, the cursor is moved to the user display using the mouse 28, it is checked whether or not the user display has been selected, and when the user display is selected, the contents are displayed in a window as shown in FIG. Next, erase the window by clicking the button on the mouse 28 (step I1323, step #328), and return to step #316.Similarly, when the model is displayed (Sutesof"11324), its contents are displayed in the window (step #325). ), the next click erases the window (step #323, step #32B), and returns to step #316. When the terminal is displayed (step #326), a selection window is displayed (step #327), processing A is performed, and then it is determined whether or not to scroll left/right, and if it is scroll left/right, the window is closed. It is deleted (step #331), the cursor is moved to the corresponding terminal (stenop #332), and the process returns to step #316. If it is not left/right scrolling, the process returns to step #329. In addition, the above step #
The user, model, and terminal display processing from step #321 to step #332 is hereinafter referred to as B processing.

Next, the selection of the status monitor is determined (step #333).
If it is not selected, the process returns to step 1316, and if it is selected, a status monitor screen is displayed as shown in FIG. 21 or 33 (step #334).

Then, A and B processes are performed in steps #335 and #336. When the B process, that is, displaying the user, model, or terminal, is completed, the process returns to step #335. If no display is selected in the B process, the next terminal is displayed in step #337. If the next terminal is selected, the next terminal is displayed in step #338, and the process returns to step 1335. If not selected, it is determined in step #339 whether or not the previous terminal has been selected; if it has been selected, the previous terminal is displayed in step #340, and in step l3
Return to 35. If it is not selected, it is determined whether or not Return has been selected (Sutesof” $341), and if it has been selected, it returns to the terminal list display in step #315.If Return has not been selected, it is determined whether MENU has been selected or not. If MENU is selected, the submenu screen shown in FIG. 22 is displayed in a window (step #343). If MENU is not selected, the process returns to step #335.

When the submenu is displayed in the window, step 13
44 A processing detects the input waiting and failure list, and when input is performed by clicking the mouse 28, the window display is erased (step +1345) and it is checked which submenu has been selected. Step #346.
53. Step #354. A determination is made in step #355, and if the selection from the menu is not made due to an erroneous operation or the like, the process returns to step #343.

PPC when performance history is selected in Stesof 1346
The RPC performance history screen shown in FIG. 23 is displayed with reference to the data file, and A processing is performed at step #348, and B processing is performed at step #349. When the window display ends in process B, the process returns to process A in step #348. B
If no process is selected, it is determined in step 1350, step #351, and step #356 whether return, display time axis or target change, or left/right scroll is selected. If none of these is selected, step Return to #348. When return is selected in step #350, the process returns to step l334 to display the status monitor screen, and when change is selected in step #351, for example, the graphs of exposure voltage changes shown in FIGS. 23 to 24 Display the change screen such as (Stepfufu” #352)
, return to step 1348. If the left/right cursor is selected in step #356, the date cursor is moved to the left/right (step #357) and the process returns to step #348.

When failure history is selected in step #353, rp
c The failure history screen shown in FIG. 25 is displayed with reference to the failure history file (step a358), the A process (step l+359) and the B process (step #360) are performed, and the window display is cleared in the B process. and step #
Return to 359. If process B is not selected, the selection of return or up/down scroll is determined (step 13).
61, step lI362), when scrolling up/down is selected, scroll up/down in step #363,
Step #33 when nothing is selected, when return is selected, and when upward/downward crawling is completed.
Return to 4.

Similarly, when the exchange history is selected in step #354, the screen is displayed as shown in FIG. 26, and up to and including the selection of upward/downward scrolling is determined (step #364 to step $1368). If scrolling up/down is not selected, the selection of replacement product name is determined (Stethop 1$370)
, the product name window is displayed (Stesof”It371)
Process A is performed and the corresponding product name is input (step 1137).
2) It is displayed (step +1373). Then, if NO in step #370 and step #373,
When step #369 ends, the process returns to step #365.

Also, when the number of copies is selected in step 11355,
At step 1374, the total number of sheets as shown in FIG.
8) In step #380 and step #381, the selection of changing the time axis and changing the size is determined, and in the case of changing the time axis, the selected time axis is displayed in a window (step #385), and in step l386, A is selected. After processing, a change screen is displayed (step 11387).

In addition, in the case of changing the size, the selected size name is displayed in a window as shown in FIG. 28 (step #382), and after processing A in step #386, the changed screen is displayed as shown in FIG. Step #384).

On the other hand, when the replacement time announcement is selected in step #309, the terminal numbers are arranged in descending order of usage rate based on the usage rate list (step It388), and the replacement time announcement screen shown in FIG. 30 is displayed. Then, A processing is performed (step #390), and it is determined in steps 11391 to #396 whether return, scroll up/down, status monitor, or prediction is selected, and if return is selected, Return to the menu screen of step 1301, and if scrolling up/down, press ( after scrolling up/down).
Step 11394), return to step #390. In the case of status monitor, the process returns to step #334, and in the case of prediction, the prediction period window shown in FIG. 31 is displayed (step #397), and after the A process (step 1139).
8) Calculate the predicted value based on the actual data (step #399) and display the predicted data (step "#40")
0). If the above selections are not made and step #
When step 400 ends, the process returns to step #390.

When copy charge management is selected in step #3lO, data on the number of copies for the current month is loaded from the PPC data file in step 1401, a list of charges for each copying machine as shown in FIG. 34 is displayed, and A processing is performed. That is, after manual processing (step 11403), step #404, step l1406, step +1409, step s413
, Step #415 and Step 1416, it is determined which of left/right scrolling, display month change, settlement of accounts, printing, B process, and return has been selected.

If left/right scroll is selected, it is executed (step '11405) and the process returns to step #403. When the display month change is selected, January to December are displayed in a window, a display month is selected (step #407), charge data for the corresponding month is displayed (step #408), and the process returns to step 1403. When settlement is selected, the settlement month and its period are displayed in a window as shown in Figure 35, and the settlement date is specified (step #410).
. Then, calculate the charges for the specified period (Step #4
11) Save it in the PPC charge data file (step ``#412)'' and return to step #403. If printing is selected, print processing is performed using the printer 26 (step ``11414''), and the process returns to step #403. Further, if the window display of the B process is finished in step #415, or if a return key is not selected in step 14l6, the process returns to step #403.

Furthermore, when return is selected, the display returns to the menu screen in step #30l.

When user registration or model registration is selected in step $311 or step 1312, data is loaded from the PPc user information file or PPC model information file (step I1417), and it is listed as shown in FIG. 36 or 37. Display (step +1418). And A
After processing (step +1419), stencil #420
, step #422, step #424, step #4
28. In step #430 and step #43l, determine which of the cursor keys, change, delete, add, B process, and return is selected, and when the cursor key is selected, scroll up/down (step #421 ), enter the change data when change is selected (step 1
1423). When deletion is selected, it is determined whether the terminal has already been registered (step #425), and if it is not registered, an error message is displayed in the window (
Step #426), and if it is registered, delete processing is performed (Step 11427). If addition is selected, additional data is input (step #429), and if process B is selected or the above process is completed, the process returns to step l419. PPC when return is selected
Load the data into the user information file or PPC model information file (step #432), and step #30
1, and if no selection is made, return to Stesof 1419.

Finally, when terminal registration is selected in step 11313, operations substantially similar to steps #417 to #432 described above are performed in steps #433 to #447.

That is, in step #434, a list of copiers registered as terminals is displayed as shown in FIG. 38 based on the data in the PPC terminal information file, and in step #447, the processed data is saved in the PPC terminal information file. However, when deleting, the terminal registration is not determined, and the data is not transferred to PP.
Step #446 before saving to C terminal information file
This step differs from the above step in that it is sorted in order of terminal number.

Next, a modification of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the structure of a modified example, and FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the data message transmitted from the communication unit to the center device at that time. In this example, one communication unit 3
A plurality of copying machines 1'1'... are connected to '. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, a four-digit terminal number (code) is attached to the message sent from the communication unit 3' to the center device 4, followed by the data of that terminal. Other arrangements and operations are substantially the same as those in the previous embodiment, so explanations will be omitted.

Next, other embodiments of the present invention will be described. Although the above embodiment has been described using a copying machine as the terminal device, in this embodiment, a vending machine is used as the terminal device. Note that if the copying machine 1 or 1' is replaced with a vending machine, the structure will be the same as that shown in FIG. 1 or 10, so a description thereof will be omitted.

For example, if we take a vending machine that sells drinks such as juice and coffee in paper cups as an example, malfunction information includes running out of raw materials such as coffee powder and juice raw materials, running out of cups, running out of carbon dioxide gas, etc., and drainage buckets. There are abnormalities such as full capacity, coin mechanism abnormality, etc., and replenishment information includes the usage rate of raw materials such as juice and coffee. 39 to 42 are diagrams showing examples of displays by the data display section of other embodiments.

FIG. 39 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 17 of the first embodiment, and shows the screen when the vending machine selection is selected from the menu screen. Here, the terminal number, user name, and model name of the vending machine are displayed, and the vending machine to be processed is selected using the mouse 28.

At this time, vending machines that are out of order based on the failure information and vending machines that require replenishment based on the replenishment information display this fact in the failure/replacement information column.

FIG. 40 corresponds to FIG. 30 and is a diagram showing a display screen for replenishment time announcement, which is displayed when replenishment time announcement is selected from the menu screen. Here, the vending machines with the highest usage rate of supplies such as juice raw materials and coffee powder are displayed in descending order of usage. Furthermore, if prediction is selected as shown in FIG. 41, the future usage rate for one week or one month from now can be predicted based on the usage rate and usage amount up to now, and the next replenishment date can be predicted.

FIG. 42 is a diagram showing a display screen of the vending machine failure history, and corresponds to FIG. 25. Here, the date and time of occurrence of the abnormality and its details are displayed for each vending machine.

Note that although the above two embodiments have been described using a copying machine and a vending machine as terminal devices, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to all equipment that requires field service.

[Effects] As detailed above, in the present invention, when abnormal information such as a jam, an exposure abnormality, or an out-of-stock item is received and processed from a terminal device, it is stored over time and a history of abnormal information is created. , can be displayed at the necessary timing, so when an abnormality occurs, the history of the abnormality can be immediately known, and maintenance information such as the necessity of replacement parts or products can be immediately obtained. In addition, in the case of vending machines, when abnormal information such as out-of-stock information frequently occurs for a specific product, excellent effects such as being able to accurately grasp sales information such as trends of best-selling products can be achieved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a centralized management system using a remote management device according to the present invention, and Figure 2 is an r/F
3 is a block diagram showing the structure of the communication unit, FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the structure of the center device which is the remote management device of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the structure of the communication unit. A timing chart showing the relationship between the status and the data output timing, Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of the data message sent from the communication unit to the center device, and Figure 7 is a diagram showing the message example of the instruction data sent from the center device to the communication unit. Figure 8 is a block diagram showing the structure of the central processing unit of the center device, Figure 9 is a diagram showing the structure of a list of display contents, and Figure 10 is a block diagram showing the structure of a modified example. , 11th
12 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of the transmission/reception processing section; FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of the received text processing section; FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of the data display section, FIGS. 15 to 38 are views showing display screens, and FIGS. 39 to 42 are views showing display screens of the remote management device of other embodiments. 1... Copying machine (vending machine) 2... Interface circuit 3... Communication unit 4... Center device 233... Received text processing section 235... Input processing section 236... Data display Department Patent Applicant: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Connected to a plurality of terminal devices through a communication line, receiving a plurality of pieces of information including abnormality information indicating the abnormality from each terminal device, and selectively displaying the received information on a display screen. In a remote management device that performs multiple management processes for each terminal device, the storage means stores a history of abnormality information for each terminal device, and a display control displays the stored history of abnormality information on the display screen. A remote management device comprising means. 2. The remote management device according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device is an image forming device that forms an image on paper. 3. The remote management device according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device is a vending device that automatically sells products in exchange for consideration.